Flashback to 1913: A newspaper critic asked legendary stage actress Sarah Bernhardt why she was appearing in 'low brow' motion pictures instead of concentrating on performing in plays. The legendary actress responded that she performed in movies for posterity. The sad reality is that an estimated half of the films produced in the United States during the first century of the industry have been lost to posterity.

During the late 1970s, Martin Scorsese issued a clarion call warning that the irreplaceable heritage of an important art form was at risk. His persistence led to significant advances in practices for restoring and archiving films.